Unit Overview



Essential Question: Is it a moral obligation to practice philanthropy?



The overarching goal of this unit is for students to analyze texts from multiple genres that relate to philanthropy, practicing close reading to infer the author's purpose and to determine the kinds of evidence and strategies authors use to support a position. As they read, students will keep a four-column journal, collecting evidence from each text, always asking what each author adds to the conversation--how each author would respond to the essential question. Using collected textual evidence as support, students will write an essay that takes a position on the essential question.

Students will also practice philanthropy by completing a service project and creating a project board to showcase and reflect on the value of their project and how they personally benefited. Students will present their project in class in a formal presentation.

Additional Skills for Pre-AP: Students will begin to analyze the use of rhetorical strategies in text. Writers will craft tone thesis statements and write analytical chunks.


Background on Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renissance

Word Study

  • philanthropy
  • obligation
  • compassion
  • frail
  • barren
  • Slang: half-nelson, icebox

Anchor Text

Read the short story, "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes
Is it a moral obligation to practice philanthropy? How would Hughes respond to this question?

Discuss Graphic Organizer- Rhetorical Triangle

Partner-Pair-Share: How would Hughes respond to the essential question? What text evidence supports this?

Write

Create 5 Column Notes to Keep for all texts in this unit.

Use this to write a topic sentence and one "chunk" (CD+CM+CM).

Homework

Make sure your resubmission of your character analysis is on your blog by Wednesday, November 9!